10 Fascinating WWE Survivor Series 2002 Facts
Shawn Michaels wins one last big one inside the Chamber.
There was magic in the air at the 2002 SummerSlam. More than four years after last performing on a full-time basis, 'The Heartbreak Kid' astonished everyone, perhaps himself included, by delivering a world-class performance that night against real-life best friend Triple H. Despite proving that he still was the same "Showstopper" that could practically sneeze out five-star matches, Michaels chose to take the wait-and-see approach regarding future in-ring activity.
The 2002 Survivor Series was Michaels' next wrestling foray, pitting him and five other Raw superstars in what would be the first ever Elimination Chamber match. Even Michaels' first World Championship match since WrestleMania XIV seemed to take a backseat to the hype surrounding WWE's combination of Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and War Games, all crammed into one ambitious concept.
The rest of the show in many ways felt secondary to the grand main event, but that's not to say that Survivor Series 2002 was by any means bad. In fact, it's one of the better and more memorable Survivor Series events in the post-"all matches are elimination matches" era. The main event delivered despite some serious issues (which we'll get to), and an energetic undercard helped boost the overall show into critical acclaim.
Here are ten facts about Survivor Series 2002 you may not have known.
10. Rico Audibly Had To Yell For Jeff Hardy To Complete A Spot
Jeff Hardy's career has seen its share of ups and downs, from scintillating performances, to troubling times regarding health and vices. Late-2002 didn't represent banner days for Brother Nero, as he looked noticeably pale, and highly disjointed in his in-ring performances.
Survivor Series 2002 was one of Jeff's more ignominious performances, blowing several spots during a three-on-three table elimination match. In addition to whiffing on his trademark guardrail-tightrope spot, Hardy was out of place for an instance in which he was supposed to prevent Rico from performing a moonsault. While Rico is left to balance on the top rope, he audibly screams out while flailing, "Come on, Jeff, godd--nit!" loud enough for all of Madison Square Garden to hear.